Why Does Obama Need Bo When He Has The Press Corp To Play With?

Via Memeorandum

ABC News intends to hold a health care town hall meeting from inside The White House -- and has denied Republicans' requests to participate.

Can there be any surer sign that the media’s journey from government watchdog to this administration’s lapdog is complete? What began with a tingle going up Chris Matthew’s leg should soon become a game of fetch as Pres. Obama chucks the daily briefings in favor of throwing sticks at the Press Corp out on the White House lawn.

TownHall linked a recent poll that shows how disillusioned the American people have become with the press:

Findings from a new Sacred Heart University poll show the most trusted national TV news organizations in terms of accurate reporting were: Fox News, 27 percent; CNN, 14.6 percent; and NBC News, 10.9 percent. They were followed by ABC News, 7 percent; local news, 6.9 percent; CBS News, 6.8 percent; MSNBC, 4 percent; PBS News, 3 percent; CNBC, 0.6 percent; and CBN, 0.5 percent. In a 2003 Sacred Heart University poll, CNN led Fox News in being trusted most for accurate reporting, 23.8 percent to 14.6 percent.

I don’t think it would be far off the mark that if asked to sum up their opinion of the MSM most people would answer, “it sucks.”

Michelle Malkin says it best, “ABC News should be required to register as a federal lobbyist.” But then, after the Brian and Barry love fest aired earlier this month, NBC could hardly call itself a “news” outlet. Unless of course, Tiger Beat is the current model we’re using for hard news these days.

Stacy McCain points out that not long ago that the Left felt the media was being to lax with the Bush Administration:

Remember 2002-04, when the "progressive netroots community" went off on a media establishment they felt were too eager to parrot the Bush administration's line on Iraq? The problem with reverse-engineering that -- which is what conservative bloggers must try to do now -- is that during the Bush administration, liberal bloggers had the advantage that 90% of the D.C. press corps had voted for Al Gore and John Kerry.

In the above poll only 7% said they trusted ABC. I wonder what the number would be if the poll were taken today.

Other reaction: Riehl World View, Right Wing News, Right Wing Nut House, Hot Air, The Sundries Shack, No More Mister Nice Blog, Babalú Blog, Atlas Shrugs

UPDATE: From George Moneo at Babalu:

A little side note. From now on I (and whomever else writes on this blog) will stop using the term "mainstream media." They are far from mainstream, and have been for decades. I'm going to use Rush Limbaugh's term, which is pithy and perfect in describing them:

The State-Run Media.